M.Vignesh v. The District Employment Officer
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 20.01.2026
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE Ms. JUSTICE P.T. ASHA W.P.No.
17791 of 2025 M.Vignesh ... Petitioner Vs.
l.The District Employment Officer, District employment office, Tiruvannamalai District.
2.TheTahsildar, Kalasapakkam Taluk, Tiruvannamalai District
...Respondents
Prayer:- Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for issuance of a writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the records pertaining to the letters bearing no.Al/598/2021 dated 19.02.2024 and 12.02.2025 and quash the same and direct the 1st Respondent to sponsor my name in the Priority category of land losers to Government in the oncoming future employment in the public sector based on the Priority certificate dated 29.09.2004, 07.05.2019 and clarification letter dated 19.12.2019, and as per the order dated 09.11.2023 passed by this Honourable Court in W.P.No. 19100 of 2020 and pass such further or other orders may deem fit and proper in the circumstances arising out of the case 1/7
and thus render justice.
For Petitioner : Mr.P.Balamurugan For Respondents : Mr.Yogesh Kannadasan,SGP for R1 & R2.
O R D E R
This writ petition has been filed for the following relief:- "calling for the records pertaining to the letters bearing no.Al/598/2021 dated 19.02.2024 and 12.02.2025 and quash the same and direct the Respondent to sponsor my name in the Priority category of land losers to Government in the oncoming future employment in the public sector based on the Priority certificate dated 29.09.2004, 07.05.2019 and clarification letter dated 19.12.2019, and as per the order dated 09.11.2023 passed by this Honorable Court in W.P.No. 19100 of 2020 and pass such further or other orders may deem fit and proper in the circumstances arising out of the case and thus render justice."
2. The petitioner's case is that his ancestral properties were acquired by the Government for the purpose of the Government Mirugandanadhi Reservoir Scheme in the year 2004 under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act. Thereafter, the Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition), 2/7
Polur, issued a Legal Heir Certificate / Priority Certificate vide K.A. No.120/2004 dated 29.09.2004 in favour of the following persons: 1 .Mr.Moorthy 2.Ms.Girija, h, 3.Mr.Manikandan, 4.Vignesh, the petitioner herein, her, 5.Dinesh. Since there were certain discrepancies in the said certificate, the petitioner's father had submitted a representation to the Tahsildar, Kalasapakkam, seeking rectification of the same. The Tahsildar rectified the discrepancies and issued a corrected certificate vide O.Mu.A1/9004/2019 dated 07.05.2019.
3. The petitioner would submit that earlier his father had approached the respondents on several occasions requesting his name be considered under the priority category for the purpose of employment in the public sector. However, the same was not considered. Since none of the petitioner's family members had been benefited under the priority quota as per G.O.Ms.No.188 dated 28.12.1976, despite the acquisition of their property by the Government, the petitioner submitted a representation dated 12.12.2019 to the District Collector, Thiruvannamalai, the District Employment Officer, Thiruvannamalai, and the Tahsildar, Kalasapakkam, seeking issuance of a priority certificate under the category of land losers. 3/7
4. On 19.12.2019, the Tahsildar, Kalasapakkam, issued a reply stating that the certificate issued by the Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition), Polur, dated 29.09.2004 in K.A. No.120/2004, which was subsequently rectified on 07.05.2019 vide O.Mu.A1/9004/2019, is already a priority certificate issued in this regard and therefore, a fresh priority certificate cannot be issued once again. Thereafter, on 20.01.2020, the petitioner made a representation to the District Employment Officer, Thiruvannamalai, requesting him to consider the letter issued by the Tahsildar, Kalasapakkam, dated 19.12.2019, and to sponsor the petitioner's name under the priority category of land losers. Since the petitioner's request was not considered, he filed W.P. No.
19100 of 2020 seeking issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to sponsor his name under the priority category of land losers for future public sector employment. This Hon'ble Court, by order dated 09.11.2023, directed the petitioner to submit a fresh representation and further directed the respondents to consider the same and pass appropriate orders, taking into account the certificate issued by the Tahsildar, within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the representation.
5. Pursuant to the said order, the 1st respondent, by the impugned order dated 19.02.2024, rejected the claim of the petitioner stating that no 4/7
priority certificate had been filed. Since the 1st respondent, while passing the impugned order dated 19.02.2024, failed to consider the fact that the petitioner's name is clearly mentioned in the Priority Certificate dated 29.09.2004 as well as in the rectification letter dated 07.05.2019, the petitioner once again submitted a representation dated 25.01.2025 to respondents 1 and 2. However, the 1st respondent once again rejected the petitioner's claim on the very same ground. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioner is before this Hon'ble Court.
6. Heard the learned counsel on either side and perused the records.
7. Non-application of mind on the part of the 1st respondent is clearly evident from the fact that the ground on which the request of the petitioner has been rejected is that the petitioner has not provided a priority certificate from the 2nd respondent. However, the petitioner has, in fact, produced such a certificate dated 07.05.2019, and reference to the same is also made in the impugned order dated 19.02.2024 at Serial No.4. Therefore, the impugned orders passed by the 1st respondent cannot be sustained and are liable to be set aside.
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8. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is allowed and the impugned orders are set aside. The 1st respondent is directed to sponsor the petitioner's name in the priority category as and when the vacancies arise. No costs. 20.01.2026 (shr) Index : Yes/No Speaking Order: Yes/No To l.The District Employment Officer, District employment office, Tiruvannamalai District.
2.The Tahsildar, Kalasapakkam Taluk, Tiruvannamalai District 6/7
P.T. ASHA . J., (shr) .01.2026 7/7